


Reanimation

by still_lycoris



Category: Victor Frankenstein (2015)
Genre: Acceptance, F/M, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-11 23:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5645371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/still_lycoris/pseuds/still_lycoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lorelei sees that Victor's father is dead, she knows that it's time to let Victor into their lives again ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reanimation

Lorelei was on her way home when she saw it.

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that the name caught her eye after everything that had happened, even from across the street. She was moving over to the paper stand before she even realised what it was that had got her attention. When she realised what she was reading, she found herself pausing.

Claus Frankenstein was dead.

She _could_ pretend she’d never seen it. Igor might well never see it himself – he wasn’t really one for reading the papers after all. _She’d_ only seen this because of bad luck. If she bought the paper, took it back, everything would change. She liked their relatively quiet life. She liked what they had.

But in the end, it would be dishonest. And she and Igor had always sworn not to lie to each other. The world had told them enough lies over time. They always intended not to add to them.

With a sigh, she bought the paper and hurried home. Igor was already there, working on something at his desk. He looked at her, his bright smile immediately fading when he saw her face. He knew her so well by now. He only had to see her face to know something had happened.

“What’s wrong?”

She handed him the newspaper, folded open at the appropriate page. Igor looked at it. For a second, she saw a look of absolute horror cross his face which quickly faded into a different look of anxiety.

“When I saw the name, I thought … well,” she said, knowing Igor had thought the same thing. “But Claus … that’s his father, isn’t it?”

Igor nodded his head.

“I met him once,” he said. “He … well, he didn’t … he was quite angry with Victor at the time. I think he was quite angry at Victor all the time, actually … ”

Lorelei resisted the urge to comment that she could understand why that would be the case. It wasn’t fair and certainly wouldn’t be helpful right now. Igor was obviously fretting and she was pretty sure that she knew why.

“You think Victor will come?”

“Yes,” Igor said at once. “If he finds out at this, he’ll come and try to … fix it.”

Lorelei wasn’t at all surprised to hear that. It was what she had been thinking herself. Of _course_ Victor would want to come and try and put his strange technology into saving his father. Wouldn’t anybody?

“We have to stop him, Igor,” she said and was pleased when she saw Igor nod. For a moment, she’d been afraid that he wouldn’t understand that – but she should have known better. 

Of course, exactly _how_ to stop Victor was a bit of a question. Getting away from their work wasn’t too difficult – both of them were automatically careful with their money and had plenty saved up. Finding where Claus Frankenstein had lived and therefore where the body would be kept and where the funeral would be was extremely easy. It was just that they had absolutely no reason to _be_ at the funeral and therefore there was no reason for anybody to talk to them. Lorelei couldn’t help worrying.

“Oh, it won’t be difficult to find Victor,” Igor said when she voiced this issue. “Trust me, Lorelei. When he arrives, we’ll know. Then we’ll just get him into the carriage.”

She should never have doubted Igor. They’d been loitering for a few hours before there was a commotion and Lorelei spotted Victor Frankenstein in the centre of it.

He hadn’t changed very much. He still looked smart, even attractive – but even from her position on the other side of the street, Lorelei could see that his eyes were too wide and his face was too pale. He was arguing with the man at the door and his voice was getting louder.

“He’s my father and I _have_ to go inside to see him so why don’t you just get yourself out of the way and stop _pushing_ at me like that, dammit!”

The butler who was talking to him was doing a better job at keeping his voice low but Lorelei could imagine what was being said. She wondered if it had really occurred to Victor just how much he wasn’t wanted here. She suspected that although it would have been in his mind, Victor would just have ignored it. Victor would have started to act long before any more moderate thoughts could possibly have reached his mind.

Lorelei gestured to Igor, who promptly ran across the street. Lorelei stepped calmly into their waiting carriage and opened the door, watching Igor grab Victor’s arms and pull him back. Victor struggled, not seeming to realise exactly who it was who was accosting him even though Lorelei could hear Igor saying “It’s me, it’s _me_ , Victor, this isn’t the moment!”

“Let go of me, let go for me, damn you, I have to fix this, will you just let _go?_ ”

“Victor, please!”

They were at the carriage now and Lorelei took a chance. Leaning out, she whacked Victor soundly over the head with the fan that she was holding. It worked – Victor staggered, stunned enough that it gave Igor the momentum to heave him straight into the carriage. He jumped up, slamming the door behind them and Lorelei quickly rapped on the roof to signal that they wanted to leave _now_.

Which was lucky because Victor was recovered enough now to attempt try and jump straight out again. Igor knocked him over and sat on his legs.

“Victor, will you stop and listen to me?!”

“Get _off_ me! Get off me, you bastard, why are you trying to stop me, you, you should understand, you know what I could do, why are you stopping me?!”

“Victor, you can’t just storm in, they won’t want it, Victor, can’t we just talk about this?!”

Victor clearly thought they couldn’t. He punched Igor in the stomach, then elbowed him the face. Igor reeled back, banging his head on the seat and Victor attempted to climb over him, reaching for the door. Lorelei hit him with her fan again.

“ _Victor_ ,” she said. “Victor, look at me!”

He looked at her. His mouth was twisted in fury but his eyes … his eyes said something else. Lorelei took a deep breath, then leaned forward and gripped his wrist.

“He will never love you,” she said simply. “That is your tragedy and your truth. Even if you _could_ revive him, you will not earn the love you want from him. He’ll never forgive you, even if he lives. There is nothing you can do.”

Victor stared at her. He stopped his movement. He just stood. When Lorelei released his wrist, he didn’t seem to notice. Igor had managed to get up off the floor and he gently helped Victor into a seat. Victor didn’t even seem to notice. He hunched back, his eyes glassy.

“I think you broke him,” Igor whispered.

“No,” Lorelei said. “I think he was already broken.”

Victor didn’t speak for the rest of their journey, despite Igor making a few attempts to coax information out of him. He didn’t even notice that the coach had stopped. Igor had to put an arm around his waist and pull him out. Working together, they got him into their house where he sat on the chaise-lounge and looked at nothing. Igor stood anxiously over him, clearly trying to think of some way to bring his friend back. He brought Victor food and hovered uneasily over him. Victor ignored both food and company. He just sat and stared at nothing. Lorelei watched them both, feeling uncomfortable. She hated seeing Igor unhappy. She didn’t even like seeing Victor like this. She didn’t regret what she’d said – it had been nothing but the truth – but she regretted having to say it.

Eventually, she gently pulled Igor aside, making sure Victor wouldn’t be able to hear them, even if he were listening.

“Igor, I’m going to go upstairs,” she said. “I think I’m only in the way here. Give him anything he needs to feel better.”

Igor nodded but Lorelei knew that he hadn’t absolutely understood what she meant. She took a deep breath.

“ _Anything_ he needs. Any … _physical_ comfort … ”

Igor moved back from her slightly, looking shocked. Lorelei looked back at him, hoping her face showed the understanding that she felt.

“You … you _knew?_ ”

“Of course I knew,” she told him gently. “I always knew, even before he mentioned that three’s a crowd in that letter of his. I never minded, Igor. I still don’t. Look after him.”

She kissed his cheek gently, then turned and walked purposefully away. Something made her stop and look back. Igor had already returned to Victor’s side and was saying something softly to him. As Lorelei watched, Igor leaned forward and kissed Victor’s mouth.

She left them properly then, retreating into the bedroom. She tried not to think about what might be happening downstairs. She wasn’t jealous – she knew that Igor loved her, even if he loved Victor too. She wasn’t disgusted – people loved who they loved, after all. She’d come across far odder practises working in the circus and as long as everybody involved was happy, she’d never let herself be bothered by any of it.

But a little part of her was scared. Scared that Igor would remember more of what he loved about Victor than her. Scared that Victor would recover that insane, infectious energy that he always had and steal Igor away just with the force of his personality. And if that was what Igor wanted, of course she would let him go … but she didn’t want to. She loved Igor.

In the end, she went to sleep. Her dreams were uneasy, filled with death and disturbances.

She woke up when the door crashed open and Victor slammed into the room.

“Why didn’t you mind?”

Lorelei sat up, clutching her sheets to her chest. It was ridiculous, of course, Victor hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t properly dressed. He bowled himself across the room and tore the shutters open, letting the sunlight spill in. His hair was rumpled and he was only in his shirt and trousers but he looked far more himself than he had the night before. He whipped round to look at her, his hands on his hips.

“Well?” he said, obviously irritated that she hadn’t answered instantly.

“Mind what? Why are you in my bedroom?”

“To ask you questions, of course,” he said, as though the question was completely ridiculous. “Igor said you didn’t mind. Why didn’t you mind?”

Lorelei rolled her eyes. It was obvious she wasn’t getting Victor out of her bedroom until she’d spoken to him.

“Because I love Igor and he loves me. The fact that he loves you too doesn’t change that. And you needed his help.”

Victor stared at her. Lorelei wondered if he really understood what she was saying. Was he thinking she was stupid for being sympathetic? Or was he adding her mentally to his list of allies, deciding she wasn’t so bad?

Igor came into the room, looking irritated.

“Victor, why are you in Lorelei’s bedroom?”

Victor gave him one of his brilliant grins. 

“Talking, of course! I needed to understand. I’m still angry with both of you by the way, how dare you stop me, time is of the _essence_ but I forgive you, obviously, it was very good of you to care and I could use your help, both of you actually … ”

Lorelei smiled rather ruefully at Igor. It looked like peace was over for a while. She found she didn’t totally mind.

Perhaps there was space in life for something different.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 12dayschristmas


End file.
